It's a Dog's Life
by Healer Pomfrey
Summary: In the summer after Harry's fourth Hogwarts year, he accidentally becomes a dog and ends up as Professor Snape's familiar. Will Snape know when Harry and the dog take turns nursing him when he is ill? Completely AU, partly OOC, sick!Severus, sick!Harry
1. Chapter 1

**It's a Dog's Life**

**Chapter 1**

Harry had returned from Hogwarts for his summer holidays at the Dursleys a few weeks ago. Every night, he was watching Cedric die in his sleep, over and over again, and he felt very depressed by reliving the events, which had happened at the graveyard a few weeks ago, so frequently. The fact that Dumbledore had obviously forbidden his friends to write anything substantial in their letters, about where they were and what they were doing, didn't help either.

One morning, Harry was just making toast for the Dursleys when Dudley arrived in the kitchen. "Hey, Potter, what is it you're always talking about in your dreams? Whom did you kill? And who is Cedric?" his cousin asked with great amusement, causing Harry to throw him a terrified look.

'_Oh no! If I only could hide and make myself invisible_,' Harry thought, angered beyond belief, and unconsciously let out a huge amount of rare magic. '_What happened_?' he mused anxiously, as he felt his vision change completely and his cousin let out a loud squeal. Everything looked so big and high now. Unable to comprehend what had happened, Harry dashed out of the back door into the garden, tripping over his own feet several times, before he scrambled under one of the bushes at the far end of the garden and turned his eyes to get a glimpse at himself.

'_I am... a... DOG?_' Harry thought in disbelief, looking at the short black fur that had replaced his human skin. '_How did I do that, and will I be able to transform back? Am I an Animagus now?_' Harry decided to make his way back into the house and closely examine his predicament as soon as the Dursleys had left the kitchen.

He didn't have to wait long, since his aunt planned to go on a shopping trip to London together with her son and was in a hurry. "Oh no, that can't be, Dudley. Harry can't change into a dog. Maybe you're delirious. Are you feeling well?" She worriedly felt his forehead, before she nodded, apparently convinced that her son was all right.

Harry watched from a shadow behind the rubbish bin, chuckling inwardly. '_If you only knew how right he is this time_.' He intended to head into his room and try to transform back; however, a shopping trip to London would be a good opportunity to get away from Little Whinging. '_As a dog, I can easily run around London. I pocketed my wand and the map before I went down to make breakfast, so if I'm able to transform back into my human form, I'll have my wand with me_.'

Making a quick decision, he dashed back out through the back door and the garden into the garage, still finding it difficult to run on four feet. Approaching Vernon's car, he couldn't believe his luck. Just like so often, Dudley hadn't properly closed his door, and Harry could easily push it open. He tried to jump into the car, succeeding at the fifth painful attempt, and hid under the front passenger's seat, curling up and making himself as small as possible.

It didn't take long before the Dursleys boarded the car and drove to London. The monotone sound of the engine and Dudley's endless whining made Harry very sleepy, and he drifted off into a rare, undisturbed slumber. By the time he woke up, everything was quiet around him, and he hesitantly scrambled out from under the seat. Jumping onto the seat, he looked out of the window, noticing the car was parked in a parking area. '_Probably that of Uncle Vernon's company_,' he mused as he tried to open the door with his right front paw. It took him an infinite amount of time, but finally he realised that it wasn't possible and instead pushed the button to open the window, glad that it worked even if the engine was off. He squeezed himself through the window and fell onto the ground.

'_Thank God I know how to get to Diagon Alley from here_,' Harry thought as he walked down the street, still stumbling every now and then due to the problem of having four legs instead of two. When he reached a small park, he decided to get some rest. '_I have to think about what to do now, and maybe I can try to transform back. Perhaps I should go to Diagon Alley and buy my new school books and clothes and try to get to Hogwarts afterwards. At Hogwarts, it'll always be possible to nick some food, and it'll be easy to hide in the castle_,' he mused and tried to transform back behind a huge bush.

'_Thank God. And my wand is still in my jeans pocket_,' he thought, sighing in relief. '_Now, how do I transform back into the dog form?_' Harry tried to concentrate on the dog he had been a few minutes ago, surprised that it worked immediately. '_Apparently, I'm an Animagus. That's strange. I thought one had to try for years, before being able to transform into an animal. At least that's what McGonagall told us. Oh well, let's go shopping_.'

Harry walked to the Leaky Cauldron and slipped through the open wall into Diagon Alley, choosing a small side street right behind Madam Malkins' shop to transform back into his human form, deciding he had to go to Madam Malkins first as he felt very uncomfortable and self-conscious in Dudley's old Muggle clothes.

The kind witch merely threw him a pitying look and queried, "Is everything all right, Mr. Potter?"

"Yes, of course," Harry replied in a small voice, before he asked hesitantly, "Madam Malkins, would it be possible for you to take the money straight from my Gringotts account? I don't want to go to the bank in my current attire."

"Of course, my boy. Don't worry about that. I suggest you buy a pair of jeans and a T-shirt additionally to your school clothes, so you could change into something proper immediately. It'll take me an hour to have your school clothes ready," the witch replied gently.

"That's a good idea," Harry agreed and allowed Madam Malkin to choose fitting every day clothes for him.

"Here, sweetie, go and change," he was told and complied, changing into a pair of dark blue jeans and a well fitting green T-shirt, exactly matching the colour of his eyes. The front of the T-shirt was covered with the pattern of a golden Snitch as well as a writing in white letters, saying, '_Seek me_,' and a similar writing in the back stated, '_I'm gone_.'

Properly dressed now, Harry went to Gringotts to retrieve some money, before he bought his new school books and the potions ingredients needed for his fifth school year. Finally, he entered the bag shop, determined to buy a new trunk. He took his time to ask the shopkeeper about the magical trunks containing several departments that changed into rooms, pondering how much money he could reasonably spend on a trunk. '_I need one that opens on my magical signature, so I can access it even in my dog's form_,' Harry mused when the shopkeeper brought another trunk that was nearly colourless and looked a bit like his Invisibility Cloak.

"This is something really special," he explained. "This trunk fulfils the same requirements as the one you were just looking at, having three different compartments with one of them changing into a small apartment, but it can be charmed to stay invisible to anyone except for the owner. Just like the other one, you can shrink, enlarge, and open it from the in- and outside just with a touch, since it recognizes your magical signature." He waved his wand at the trunk, causing Harry to gasp in delight.

"I take this one," Harry decided immediately. "I also need a new school bag." He quickly chose a book bag, which was charmed to remain feather light, and advised the shop keeper, "Please take the money from the Potter vault." He put all his shopping items into the main compartment of his new trunk and left the shop, feeling very content with his shopping as he returned to Madam Malkins'.

Half an hour later, Harry decided he had spent enough time and money in Diagon Alley. '_I wouldn't want to meet any of the Hogwarts teachers, so I better leave in my dog form_,' he thought, heading to a small side street to Knockturn Alley to transform back.

Harry spent the night in his dog form in Hide park, noticing that he could sleep much better in his dog form, because he didn't have his usual nightmares about the events in the graveyard a few weeks ago. He woke up early in the morning, when other dogs visited the park, pulling him out of his sleep with their howls and their smell.

Suddenly, Harry felt very hungry. '_Strange_,' he mused, '_it's not as if the Dursleys had fed me each day. Oh well, I'm a dog now. Maybe dogs need more food or get hungry more easily than humans. What am I going to do now?' _He stretched his short legs and, sensing a young white coloured dog lady nearby, he spent some time running around the park with her, until the person that accompanied her led her out of the park.

_

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tbc... _

_I'm not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes or help me to correct them._

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	2. Chapter 2

**It's a Dog's Life – Chapter 2**

'_Maybe I should try to get on the Hogwarts Express and go to Hogwarts. King's Cross is not far from here, and as far as I know the train to Hogsmeade leaves daily_.'

He made his way to the station, efficiently searching several rubbish bins on his way for food, and was pleasantly surprised when he was able to pass the barrier to get onto platform nine and three quarters even in his dog form. Harry couldn't believe his luck as he saw the red steam engine waiting to leave for Hogsmeade. He jumped onto the train, hid under a seat in an empty compartment, and sleepily closed his eyes, feeling comfortably tired now as his belly was full with pieces of bread and sausage.

It was raining cats and dogs when the train finally pulled into the station of Hogsmeade. Dog Harry managed to mix into the bulk of people leaving the train at Hogsmeade and happily jumped out of the train. Unfortunately, he still didn't have his dog's body completely under control and jumped a bit too forcefully, causing him to hit his head on the platform and hurt his left front paw.

Terrified and in pain, Harry scrambled a few steps forward to get away from the crowd, before he lay down, resting his achy head and paw for a moment, until an older witch came and held out a hand to him, asking gently, "Are you all right, little one?"

Harry let out a small yowl; however, not wanting anyone to take him away, he hurriedly made his way out of the station, feverishly trying to get away on three legs.

'_That really hurts. What am I going to do?' _he thought, terrified, before he suddenly remembered, '_Hagrid! He'll be able to help me, even in my dog form._' Ignoring the pain, he tried several ways of moving on three legs. Noticing that he couldn't jump as it made his head explode in pain, he slowly dragged himself up to Hagrid's hut. Glancing around to confirm nobody was watching, he used his right front paw to knock at the door a few times, only to realise that Hagrid seemed to be absent.

'_Oh no! What am I going to do now_?' Harry pondered, unconsciously heading further up to the castle. He only stopped in front of the large entrance doors, knowing there was no way he could open the doors in his dog form. '_I don't think I can transform right now; I'm too sore, and I'd be in so much trouble if Dumbledore knew I was here_,' he mused. '_If only my head didn't hurt so much_.'

Harry was about to drift off to sleep, huddled against the large entrance door, where he was safe from the rain, when quick steps from behind pulled him back to consciousness. He lazily turned his eyes to see Professor Snape, who mumbled something about 'annoying fleabags' as he opened the door. Harry quickly scrambled to his three feet and jumped through the door behind the professor, who frowned at his sight.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

"Where do you think you're going?" Severus demanded, causing the dog to throw him a pleading look.

The professor looked at the dog's eyes, noticing that they held a beautiful green, one which he'd never forget. '_They have the same green as Lily's eyes_,' he mused as painful memories made their way to the front of his mind. However, the dog's eyes were filled with pain. '_He doesn't look like a stray; he seems to be clean and in a good shape, apart from his leg that seems to be broken_.'

"Are you in pain, little one?" Severus heard himself query as he felt himself being pulled by an invisible force to lean down, picking the dog up.

The dog let out a small wince and leaned into the teacher's robes.

"Let me take you into my lab, and I'll see what I can do for you. Unfortunately, Hagrid is on an errand for the Headmaster, and I don't know much about animals, nor does Poppy."

The Potions Master carried the small dog into his private lab, placing him on the table that was normally reserved for his cauldrons. "Don't be afraid, little one; I'll try to find out what exactly is wrong," he explained as he pulled his wand out of his robe pocket.

The dog merely threw him a glance, before he closed his eyes again, resting his head on the table. '_I hope my diagnostic spell will work on dogs_,' Severus mused and cast a diagnostic spell, waving his wand over the dog. "Your left front paw is broken and you have a concussion," he told the dog and pointed his wand at the canine's head to take his temperature. "39.8; I'm not sure about dogs' temperatures, but I think your temperature is elevated. Stay put for a moment. I'm going to call our Mediwitch; maybe she knows more about animals than I."

'_What am I doing? Talking to a dog?_' he thought in disbelief as he crossed the room.

Ignoring the dog's pitying yowl, he stepped to the fireplace and called Poppy, who cast her own diagnostic spells, confirming Severus' verdict. "I'm sorry, Severus, I don't know much about dogs. I only know that their temperature is higher than those of humans, but everything over 39.3 is a fever. I can heal his leg of course, but you need to look after him and give him potions for his concussion and his fever. Make sure he keeps off his paws for a few days."

"Perhaps it would be better if you took him with you," Severus replied, throwing his colleague a hopeful glance.

"No Severus, you're well able to look after him, and it'll do you well to have company here in your lonely dungeons. I can't have an animal in the hospital wing," Poppy insisted as she healed the dog's paw and gently wrapped it into white gauze.

Severus grudgingly agreed. He fetched two phials, emptying the contents into small bowls, before he told the dog, "Now, these are potions, and you need to drink them all in order to feel better," hoping the dog would understand.

Apparently he did as the dog obediently reached out with his tongue, slurping the potion for the concussion, shuddering at the foul taste, before he drank the light blue fever reducer as well.

'_That's good; now he should get better_,' Severus mused and proceeded to take the bowls and put them into the sink.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

'_Thank you, Professor_,' Harry thought as he sighed in obvious relief and gratefully licked the Potions Master's hand that reached out to take the bowls away. He allowed himself to be scooped up in the teacher's arms again, wondering what was going to happen now.

Snape took him into what seemed to be the living room and placed him onto a chair, before he pointed his wand at the floor and conjured a dark green mattress with a pattern of tiny dogs in silver, covered by a warm blanket with the same pattern.

"That's your place," the teacher instructed him. "You heard Madam Pomfrey. You're ill and need to stay put. I'll check on you again tomorrow morning. Now try to sleep. It's already late."

Harry returned a small sound of agreement and curled up on the mattress, feeling that it was much more comfortable than his bed in Dudley's second bedroom. He faintly registered that the professor gently covered him with the blanket, before he drifted off to sleep.

During the next few days, Harry was suffering from a bad headache and a fever, and even if his paw was completely healed, the professor didn't allow him to get up from his mattress, except for three times a day when he led him out through a back door into a small herb garden, where he could relieve himself.

Harry noticed that his mind had remained his own, human mind; however, his senses seemed to be that of a dog. Seeing how gently the professor cared for him, he felt extremely grateful and couldn't keep himself from showing the professor his thankfulness by licking his hand every now and then.

To Harry's surprise, Snape spent much time working on the table in the living room instead of using the huge desk in his office. '_Maybe he takes pity on me and wants to keep me company_,' he mused. '_Strange; he has nothing of the greasy git he normally acts at school_.' Sometimes, the professor spent hours in his lab, and at other times he told Harry he had to go and see the other teachers or the Headmaster and left his quarters, leaving Harry alone for a few hours.

One evening, Harry felt much better than before and couldn't help feeling the urge to stretch his legs for a while. He hesitantly stood up and walked around the room a few times, before he hesitantly jumped onto the sofa, putting his head that had slightly begun to ache again on the teacher's lap.

"Hi, little one. Are you feeling better?" the teacher asked, gently patting his head.

Harry threw the man a genuine smile, reaching out to lick his left hand.

"What am I going to do with you? If you're well enough, you should be able to leave by tomorrow," Snape said thoughtfully.

_

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tbc..._

_Thank you so much for your kind reviews!!_

_I'm not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes or help me to correct them._

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	3. Chapter 3

**It's a Dog's Life – Chapter 3**

Harry slightly shook his head, letting out a sad yowl at the prospect of being sent away.

"You want to stay here?" The professor threw him an incredulous look, sighing when the dog proceeded to lick his cheek. "Well, then I'm going to call you 'Asbolos.' He is one of Actaeon's hounds in Ovid's _Metamorphoses,_ and the name means 'soot' or 'black'. Is that all right with you?" he queried, having the impression as if the tiny black dog could understand him extremely well.

'_I like that name_,' Harry mused as he slowly drifted off to sleep with his head still resting on his teacher's lap.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door, and Severus waved his wand to open the door, revealing the Headmaster and his Deputy Headmistress.

"Hello Severus, we were missing you at dinner over the last couple days," Albus said gently.

"You have a DOG?" Minerva queried, disbelief clearly written on her face.

"He was lying in front of the entrance doors with a broken leg and a concussion. Should I've left him there to die? Hagrid was away, and Poppy didn't want to take him, so what choice did I have?"

"At least he seems to feel extremely comfortable in your company, my boy," Albus said, and his baby blue eyes began to twinkle madly.

"He seems to be brought up very well. He is extremely disciplined. I hope no one is missing him," Severus replied. '_I really hope so. I got used to him, he is quiet and doesn't disturb me, and it's nice not to be alone all the time. I enjoy his company_,' he hesitantly admitted to himself.

"We'll see. Otherwise, it's no problem to have your own familiar living with you, and provided he doesn't bite the students or Mrs. Norris, I don't mind him roaming the castle," the Headmaster said gently.

"Now to the reason of our visit," Minerva threw in, slightly impatiently. "Mr. Potter is missing. Do you have an idea if it was the work of the Death Eaters?"

Severus firmly shook his head. "No, Minerva, I didn't hear anything. I haven't heard from anyone at all since the end of the school year. Maybe the foolish boy decided to spend his holidays according to his own wishes instead of obeying, of which he is definitely incapable."

"Well, we'll see if he returns on the first of September," the Headmaster conceded and reached over Severus' lap to pet the dog, causing the animal to jerk awake.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

Asbolos lazily opened his eyes just a little bit, automatically nestling deeper into the professor's robe when he recognized the Headmaster and his Head of House looking at him.

"It's all right, Asbolos," Snape reassured him gently. "These are Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore. They are my colleagues, and I expect you to behave."

Asbolos made a small, appreciative noise and threw the Headmaster a pleading look as he noticed the old man's eyes linger on his eyes for a moment, before they wandered further up to his forehead, where his fur was just a tiny bit lighter than everywhere else. '_Oh no, Dumbledore knows_,' he mused, horrified.

However, the Headmaster didn't show any sign of recognition, although Harry was sure he knew who he was, and the teachers proceeded to speak about the preparations for the next school year.

HP

The weeks flew by, and Severus and Asbolos became used to living together. Severus showed Asbolos how he could get from his private herb garden out onto the castle's grounds if he wanted. He also charmed the entrance door to his quarters to open if the dog put a paw against the door, so he could get out into the halls and get back in whenever he wanted.

"Tonight, the students are going to come back, and from tomorrow morning onwards I have to teach classes, so you'll find yourself alone for most part of the day," Severus explained to Asbolos, who had interrupted licking his paws to listen intently, confirming his understanding with a small bark. "You're free to roam the castle or the grounds, but you must leave the students in peace, and I expect you to be back around curfew, which means the time when the students have to return to their Houses too."

Asbolos let out a small woof-woof. '_That's good. That gives me enough time for my duties_,' he mused, feeling very relieved.

"Very well. I have to make sure the dormitories are all ready; do you want to accompany me?"

Asbolos hurried to the door. '_Of course, I'll go and have a look at the Slytherin dormitories_,' he thought.

During the last few weeks, he had spent much time pondering what to do once school resumed. On one hand, he felt so well in his dog form, living together with the Potions Master, that he couldn't imagine going back to living in his human form, being confronted with his nightmares and the staring and whispering of the people. On the other hand, he knew he should continue his studies and properly finish Hogwarts. After weeks of thinking about the matter, he decided to remain as a dog living with Severus and attend classes in his human form. However, he would only attend classes and then transform back into his dog form and return home. '_I'll somehow manage to do my homework during the night or before going home in an unused classroom_,' he resolved.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

In the evening, Harry followed the teacher down to the station in Hogsmeade and used the ruckus at the station to transform back into his human form. He mingled with the students and rode back the carriage to the castle, surprised to see the Thestrals pulling the carriages for the first time.

"You can only see them because you watched someone die," Luna informed him quietly, pulling him into a carriage, before Hermione and Ron boarded the carriage and nearly crushed him.

"Harry, where have you been? We were so worried!" Hermione began to scold him right away, causing Harry to shrug.

"You can't just run away and not answer any of our letters. People went to fetch you, and you weren't there," Ron agreed with the girl, making Harry really angry.

"You were the ones who didn't tell me anything. You merely wrote meaningless letters to me, although I needed to know what was happening after the events at the graveyard. It was just too much," Harry replied heatedly, before he resolved to keep quiet from that time onwards, noticing from his friends' expressions that they weren't able to understand anyway.

He quietly followed them into the Great Hall, registering that Remus Lupin was back to teaching, and silently followed the Sorting, while he endured Seamus' and Dean's loud whispering about 'Murderer' and 'Cedric.' Before the food even appeared on the table, Harry was so fed up that he decided to leave the Welcoming Feast. He hurried out of the Great Hall and used the empty entrance hall to transform back into his dog form, noticing that his mood lightened immensely as he returned to Professor Snape's quarters.

HP

During the following weeks, Harry chose an alcove, which was a few metres away from one of the main halls, to transform into his human form right before his first morning class. Fortunately, the professor always made him eat breakfast in the morning, so he didn't have to bother attending breakfast in the Great Hall. Normally, he sat alone in the last row to avoid speaking with anyone. After his last class, he spent a few hours in one of the unused classrooms doing his homework, before he transformed back into his dog form and left through the slightly open door, returning home right away.

Not only his House mates, but also the teachers were extremely confused by his behaviour, and one day, Professor McGonagall called Harry after the Transfiguration class.

"Mr. Potter, please remain for a moment," the professor said after dismissing the students at the end of their last afternoon class.

Groaning inwardly, Harry made his way to the front of the classroom, following the teacher into her office.

McGonagall motioned him to take a seat, giving him a sharp look. "Mr. Potter, you are aware of the fact that you've been Sorted into Gryffindor, aren't you?"

Harry nodded, averting his eyes to the floor.

"Very well. As a Gryffindor, you're supposed to return to your common room at curfew and spend the nights in your dormitory. Could you please enlighten me where you're spending the time between the end of classes and your next morning class and why you didn't even make an appearance at the Quidditch tryouts? You're supposed to be Gryffindor's Seeker."

Harry shrugged. '_It doesn't make sense to explain anything to her. She is like Hermione. She wouldn't understand me anyway_,' he thought as he followed the pattern of a phoenix on the carpet under her desk with his eyes.

McGonagall sighed. "Harry, while you're at Hogwarts, I am responsible for you. Therefore, I need to know where you are. If you need help, you just have to tell me, and I'll see to it."

Harry lightly shook his head.

"Harry, does anyone else know about your whereabouts?"

Harry nodded.

"Your friends?" McGonagall queried, slowly getting angry as Harry repeatedly shook his head.

"The Headmaster?"

Harry nodded.

"Well, that's at least something. You're dismissed, Harry, and don't forget, you can come to me anytime."

Harry threw his Head of House an appreciative nod, looking at her for the first time, before he turned to the door and left the room, transforming into his dog form as soon as he was out of sight.

HP

Unbeknownst to Harry, the question of his whereabouts was also a recurring topic at the teachers' weekly staff meetings, in which Professor McGonagall repeatedly accused the Headmaster of knowing about her student's location and keeping it from her in spite of her being Harry's Head of House.

"Minerva, why should I know where Harry is?" Dumbledore queried gently, pleasantly sucking on a lemon drop.

"Because I know that twinkle in your eyes all too well, Albus, and because Harry nodded when I asked him if you knew about it," the Scottish lioness replied in a very upset tone.

"Does Harry have problems in any of his classes?" the Headmaster asked, glancing around the staff room.

"No. He does his homework and he manages to perform the required spells. He doesn't speak a word though," Minerva replied, and all of her colleagues agreed, even the Potions Master.

"His school work is better than it has ever been before," Professor Flitwick confirmed, causing the other Heads of House to nod.

"Then why don't we leave the boy in peace for a while," Dumbledore suggested in a voice, which his colleagues knew better than to contradict. Oh well, they would still wonder and try to find something out.

_

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_

_tbc..._

_Thank you so much for your kind reviews. I really appreciate them!_

_I'm not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes or help me to correct them._

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	4. Chapter 4

**It's a Dog's Life – Chapter 4**

It was two weeks before the beginning of the winter holidays that Harry noticed the professor was ill. When Asbolos woke up in the morning by several harsh coughs, he saw from the corner of his eyes that Severus gulped down a Pepperup potion, before he let himself sink onto the sofa, fiercely rubbing his forehead, while steam came out of his ears.

'_He seems to be sick_,' Asbolos mused, taking in the professor's flushed cheeks. He quietly made his way over to the sofa and sat next to the man, gently licking Severus' hot face.

"Feels good," the professor mumbled hoarsely and let out a few harsh coughs, causing Asbolos to throw him a concerned look.

"It's all right," Snape told him. "It's just a cold. Anyway, let's have breakfast." He called a house-elf and ordered breakfast for Asbolos like usual and chicken broth for himself.

'_He really must be ill. Normally, he takes all the meals in the Great Hall, at least during the school year. He probably has to show up, considering he is Head of Slytherin_,' Asbolos thought, wondering if there was anything he could do to help the professor as he ate his sausages with gusto.

After a few spoonfuls of soup, Snape stood from his seat. "Behave yourself, Asbolos. I have to go and teach my classes."

Asbolos jumped from the sofa and dashed to the connecting door to Snape's office, trying to stop the teacher from passing. "You're ill, you can't teach, and you should go back to bed," he told him in his dog language, regretting that it only came out as several growls.

"I assure you I'm fine," the teacher told him, apparently sensing what the dog wanted to say. "Now be a good boy and let me go."

The dog grudgingly complied, knowing that he couldn't help the professor, if the man insisted he was well enough to teach. However, he resolved to return immediately after Potions, which was his last afternoon class. Since it was Friday, he still had the whole weekend to do his homework.

After the Potions class, during which Harry had worriedly observed that the teacher's condition had taken a turn for the worse, he walked a few steps towards the unused part of the dungeons, before he transformed back into Asbolos and returned home.

Snape returned a few minutes later. He walked straight to his bed room, hardly acknowledging Asbolos' presence. Seeing that the teacher hadn't closed his bedroom door, Asbolos hesitantly followed him, taking in the man's shivering figure, curled up under his blankets. He was coughing constantly, and his cheeks were deeply flushed, even more so than in the morning.

'_He needs potions, and I should take his temperature to see how bad it is. He seems very ill_,' Harry mused in his dog form and left the room in search for a thermometer. Finding one in the bathroom, he carefully picked it up with his teeth and carried it to the bedroom, holding it out to the professor, who threw him a surprised look.

"You're right. Knowing how high my fever is will help me decide if I need the potion for the wizard's flu or merely that for a throat infection," he croaked, shivering violently as he stuck the icy cold thermometer under his tongue.

Asbolos returned to the bathroom and picked up a towel, wetting it as well as possible, and took it to the teacher, trying to place it on his forehead as carefully as possible, before he curled up next to the man on his bed.

"Forty point two; I probably have the wizard's flu," Snape stated after a glance on the display, putting the thermometer on the night table. "I hope you won't catch the flu from me. I don't know if dogs can get it, but considering your behaviour I assume you're a magical dog, so you better be careful not stay too close to me for too long."

Asbolos gave him a compassionate yowl and accompanied him to the potions lab, from where Severus carried several doses of the flu potion and the fever reducer into his bedroom, gulping down one of each, before he lay down again.

During the next few hours, Asbolos remained at the teacher's side, re-wetting the towel from time to time. '_I'm getting better_,' he mused at his tenth attempt to adjust the cool towel to the teacher's forehead with his mouth and his paws, '_earlier, it covered his whole face, now it only covers one eye_.'

It was already late at night, when the potions seemed to wear off and Severus' fever spiked. He opened his eyes and glanced at the door with a horrified expression on his face. "Black, go away and leave me in peace. Potter! No, not Lupin. It can't be the full moon tonight; it's much too cold."

Asbolos gently nudged the professor's arm with his paw, causing the man to jerk awake, glancing around terrified. "A dragon," he mumbled, "is breathing fire at me. So hot here."

Asbolos tried to wake the professor a few times, before he noticed that he wasn't asleep but delirious and wouldn't easily wake up, if he couldn't get his fever down.

'_Well, making Snape better is more important than my secret_,' Asbolos mused and jumped from the bed, quickly transforming back into his human form.

"Professor, are you awake? Let me quickly take your temperature," Harry cooed, coaxing the business end of the thermometer into the professor's mouth. While they were waiting for the reading, he hurried to the bathroom and filled a bowl with cold water, knowing it would come in handy when he was back in his dog form, before he re-wetted the towel and gently wiped the teacher's flushed face.

The thermometer showed a very high number, causing Harry to gasp. He quickly uncorked the phials and told the professor, "You need to take your potions, sir. Let me help you sit up." He gently pulled the man into a half sitting position, trying his best to support his back, before he pressed the potions one after the other against the professor's lips, relieved to see he greedily gulped down both potions.

"Shall I get you some water?" he queried, suddenly realising the professor had to be very thirsty considering his high fever.

"Yes please," Snape croaked and gratefully drank a whole glass of water in the small sips Harry allowed him to take, before he suddenly looked at Harry's face and with a shocked expression asked, "Potter?"

"It's all right, Professor, you're very ill and delirious. Please go back to sleep," Harry said softly, gently pushing the man back on his pillows, before he once more adjusted the cool towel on the professor's forehead.

"Feels good," Snape mumbled and drifted back to sleep, unable to further muse about the question why and if Harry Potter really was in his bedroom.

Harry spent the whole night sitting with the professor, wiping his hot face every now and then. While he was waiting until he had to check on the teacher again, he busied himself doing his homework. He only quickly transformed back into his dog form when he noticed the teacher was beginning to wake up.

By the time Severus woke up because his potions wore off again, Asbolos was trying to gently wipe his face with the cold towel.

'_This time, he seems to be more alert_,' Asbolos thought, '_so I can't afford transforming back into my human form_.' He jumped from the bed and carefully used his teeth to pick up the thermometer, holding it out to the professor.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

"It's all right. I already know I have a fever," Severus croaked. "I only need the potions."

Asbolos let the thermometer fall onto the teacher's chest, growling until Severus picked it up, sighing. "Don't make such a fuss about me. You're nearly as bad as Poppy. And now let me take my potions."

Asbolos growled again, causing the professor to finally comply and take the thermometer into his mouth. '_He is a bit annoying, but I still have to be delirious too. I can't believe I have such a discussion with my dog familiar_,' he mused. '_At least Potter isn't here anymore, or wasn't he? Was it only a fevered impression? Well, I definitely was delirious at that time_.'

Taking the annoying cold thing out of his mouth, he turned back to his dog. "Forty point five; are you happy now?"

Asbolos let out a small yowl, pointing his head towards the phials on the night table, causing Severus to quickly gulp down both potions, sighing in relief as he felt the immediate effects.

HP

During the next two days, Asbolos took care of the professor as well as he could. Only during the nights when Snape's fever spiked so much he was getting delirious he dared transforming into his human form, so he could assist the sick teacher more efficiently than in his dog form.

On Saturday evening, Dumbledore and McGonagall came through the Hogwarts internal Floo network to visit Snape, worried because he had missed all meals in the Great Hall from Friday evening onwards. Hearing the fireplace in the living room flare, Asbolos left his spot on the teacher's bed and dashed out into the living room.

"Hello my boy, may we sit down for a moment?" the Headmaster queried gently, motioning McGonagall to sit down on the sofa as he saw Asbolos nod. "Come here please," Dumbledore said, patting the empty spot on the sofa next to him.

Asbolos complied, feeling very grateful to the Headmaster for not telling anyone about his identity, of which he was sure the Headmaster knew.

"You're Harry, aren't you?" Dumbledore asked softly, causing Asbolos to nod, hesitantly looking at his Head of House.

"Harry?" McGonagall gasped, throwing the Headmaster a menacing glare.

"Don't worry, my boy, we won't tell Severus or anyone else," Dumbledore promised quietly, petting the dog's head. "Now tell me, where is Professor Snape? Is he brewing?"

Asbolos shook his head. '_How can I explain he is ill_?' he mused, finally putting his right front paw on his forehead with a painful expression on his face, before he laid his head down on the sofa as if he was asleep.

"Is he ill?" Dumbledore guessed, causing the dog to nod.

"Can you take me to him please?" McGonagall asked firmly and followed Asbolos into her younger colleague's bed room.

Asbolos took his usual spot next to the professor's head, observing as McGonagall gently laid a hand on his colleague's forehead, gasping at the heat he radiated. "Severus, you're burning up," she said horrified, causing the teacher to wake up and groan.

"Minerva, I have the flu, but my dog is taking care of me. I don't know why, but last night I even had the impression Potter was here and looked after me. I probably was delirious, but I'll be fine by tomorrow. If I get worse, Asbolos will probably call Poppy, won't you?" he turned to his familiar, who proceeded to lick the professor's hot hand and re-adjust the cool towel on his forehead.

"I see you're in good hands. If you need help, send your dog out to fetch Poppy or me. Take care, please, Severus," McGonagall replied and left the room, seeing that Severus was already drifting back to sleep.

Harry spent a second night in his human form looking after the professor, before Severus' fever finally broke. By Sunday night, the professor was nearly back to his usual self, and Asbolos left the room to spend the night on his mattress in the living room, relieved to be able to get some undisturbed sleep.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

During his classes on Monday afternoon, Harry noticed horrified that his throat was beginning to hurt and the dull ache behind his temples he had felt since the morning, assuming it resulted from the lack of sleep, had developed into a splitting headache. '_Oh no! I just hope I'm not getting the wizard's flu_,' he mused, noticing that his joints began to ache and he felt worse by the hour. After his last class, he didn't bother doing his homework but transformed into his dog form and went home immediately, curling up under his blanket.

'_I didn't know that dogs could get a cough_,' he thought after letting out several painful coughs, which didn't go unnoticed by the professor, who just entered the room.

"Oh, don't tell me you caught the flu from me," he said softly as he picked Asbolos up from his mattress and sat on the sofa, gently taking the dog onto his lap and covering him with a warm blanket.

'_It's not worse in my dog form, but it's not better either_,' Asbolos mused, shivering violently. He didn't notice the professor cast a diagnostic spell at him and took his temperature, but he opened his eyes, startled, when he heard him speak to him in his soft, silky voice.

"You have the wizard's flu and a very high fever. I hope the flu potion will work as well as the one for the concussion did a few months ago." He summoned two phials from his lab and gently pried Asbolos' head into an upright position, so he could carefully make him swallow the potions.

HP HEALER POMFREY HP

During the night, the dog's fever rose steadily. Severus spent half the night awake, worriedly checking on his familiar every now and then, before he became too tired and hesitantly went to bed, knowing he still needed his rest too as he had just recovered from a bad case of the flu.

However, the concern about his familiar didn't allow him to sleep much, and when Asbolos had a coughing fit at five o'clock in the morning he was back at the dog's side, pointing his wand at his head.

"I'm sorry for getting you so ill," he said worriedly, looking into his familiar's green eyes that were half closed and feverishly glazed over, faintly reminding him of something.

_

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tbc..._

_Thank you so much for your kind reviews. I really appreciate them!_

_I'm not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes or help me to correct them._

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


	5. Chapter 5

**It's a Dog's Life – Chapter 5**

'_Where did I see these eyes before_?' he mused as he spelled the fever reducer into the dog's stomach, knowing he was too ill to drink the potion out of a bowl. '_Lily_!' he suddenly remembered the day when she had come down with a high fever and he had carried her all the way from the Potions classroom to the hospital wing. The thought, '_Potter nursed me back to health the other night_,' penetrated his mind and caused him to make a connection, which could easily be confirmed by a sharp look at the dog's forehead.

"Potter?" Severus asked incredulously, causing the dog to back up in fright and fall from the sofa.

Asbolos let out a small, hoarse yelp and scrambled onto his feet, dragging himself towards the door as fast as his condition allowed him to move.

"Asbolos!" Severus said firmly. "It's all right. You can't go anywhere, you're much too ill. Come back and let me help you."

The dog sat on the floor, anxiously turning his eyes to him.

"Asbolos, or Harry, whichever you prefer, I have no idea why you're here as a dog, but we can discuss that when you're feeling better. Let me put you back to bed, and then you can try to transform back into your human form, because it would be easier to heal you than in your dog form."

The dog didn't move, and Severus gently picked him up and carried him into the living room, transfiguring the sofa into a comfortable bed with a flick of his wand. '_That'll be much more comfortable than the sofa_,' he mused, before he queried, "Do you think you can transform back?"

Asbolos threw him an anxious look, causing Severus to sigh.

"I promise it'll be all right, but as I said I need to get your fever down, which is easier in your human form," Severus said softly.

The dog let out a small wince but complied, and seconds later, a boy was lying on the bed, gripping his head in agony.

'_He probably has a terrible headache from the transformation_,' Severus thought and summoned a phial of the flu potion and a headache potion, spelling both into the boy's system, before he gently draped the covers over the boy, telling himself, '_That's Lily's son and my familiar, Asbolos, in his human form_.'

"Thank you," Harry croaked in relief as he felt the headache subside and his foggy mind clear up a bit.

"That's the least I can do, considering you spent the whole weekend here nursing me back to health," Severus replied softly, causing a small smile to play on the boy's lips. "Now, I have to teach my first class. I'll return after each class and check on you. You must stay in bed. You're very ill. If you need me, you can call me; I'll leave the doors ajar. I'll excuse you with Professor McGonagall and inform her about your illness. Try to sleep and don't worry. Everything will be all right."

"Pfessor," Harry mumbled, reaching out for the teacher's cold hand. "Please don't tell anyone where I am and that I'm Asbolos."

"Don't worry. I won't," Severus promised, adjusting a cold cloth on the boy's forehead. With that, he left the room to Floo-call Minerva.

"Mr. Potter? Why is Mr. Potter in your quarters, Severus?" McGonagall queried, feigning surprise.

"Because I noticed that he was ill after his Potions class, which was his last afternoon class yesterday," Severus replied truthfully.

"Very well, Severus. Thank you for looking after Harry. However, don't forget you only just recovered from the flu and still need much rest. If it becomes too much, you have to call Poppy or me, so we can help you."

"Thank you, Minerva. I really appreciate it," Severus replied and cut the connection, knowing that he still had to prepare everything for his first class.

HP

During the next few days, Harry remained very ill. Several times, he changed between his human form and his dog form, knowing that he wouldn't have nightmares about Cedric in his dog form, or pondering if he might feel better in his other form, only to realise that nothing changed except for the fact that the transformations seemed to aggravate his condition.

Severus used the time to ponder the situation of a student living in his quarters as his familiar. '_What was his intention_?' he pondered when he recalled the events that led to Asbolos staying in his quarters, realising that he had been the one to bring the dog into his quarters to heal him. '_So he attends classes, does his homework, transforms into his dog form, and spends the time until classes begin in the morning as Asbolos, sleeping in his corner in my living room_,' he mused. '_This doesn't make sense. I have to ask him why he spends all his free time as a dog, why he stays with me, and why he arrived at Hogwarts in his dog form in the first place_,' he resolved, deciding to speak with Harry as soon as he felt a bit better.

"Professor," Harry croaked, causing Severus to look up in surprise, having not even noticed that Harry had transformed back into his human form. "What's going to happen with me? I suppose I can't remain here at home in my dog form anymore?"

Severus sighed and stepped over to the boy, sitting on the edge of his bed. "Harry, I don't think you're already well enough for this discussion," he replied softly, placing a cold hand on the student's forehead. "You're definitely not, but let me just tell you, "I don't mind you continuing to live here in your dog form; however, I need you to explain the exact reason."

"Can we speak about it now?" Harry asked pleadingly, fiercely rubbing his forehead.

"Very well," Severus replied, causing Harry to explain how he had ended up as a dog and why he preferred to remain in his dog's form. Severus listened patiently, trying to understand what was behind Harry's problem. Due to his own experiences with abuse at home and nightmares concerning his position as a spy and Death Eater he could comprehend the boy's problems only too well.

"Why did you choose to stay with me and not with anyone else, like for example your Head of House?" he queried softly.

"You always treated me as Harry, just Harry, and not as the boy who lived or the boy who killed Cedric or whatever. I don't want anyone to make a fuss about me. I just want to be myself, and I felt I could do that best in your company. Apart from that, it was you who collected me in front of the entrance door and brought me here the first night," Harry explained in a small voice, hesitantly turning his eyes to the teacher.

"Thank you for telling me the truth, Harry. I can understand you well," Severus finally replied. "As I said before, I don't mind you staying here in your dog form; however, I believe I should try to help you overcome your problems, so you'll be able to live in your human form again in the future. Do you intend to return to your relatives in the summer?"

"No," Harry replied, terrified at the thought.

"Very well. In that case, I could offer to speak with the Headmaster and try to apply for the guardianship over you. If I was your guardian, you could officially stay with me, even during the school year."

"I'd like that," Harry whispered, throwing the teacher a grateful look.

"However, you will abide by my rules, which will contain that you spend at least one hour in your human form each evening, talking with me about your problems," Severus continued sternly.

"All right," Harry whispered his agreement, knowing if anyone could help him it was the professor.

"I don't know if the Headmaster will allow it though."

"I'm not sure, but I think Professor Dumbledore knows that I'm Asbolos," Harry croaked, laying an arm over his eyes to keep the light out of his sore eyes.

"I'll speak to him right away," the professor promised. "However, you have to rest now." With that, he waved his wand over the boy to check on him and spell the potions into his stomach, observing that Harry sighed in relief as he felt the immediate effects.

"Thank you, Professor," Harry mumbled, before he transformed into his dog form.

"Good night, Asbolos, and don't worry. Everything will be all right," Severus said soothingly as he gently covered his familiar with the warm blanket, noticing that the dog's mouth pulled slightly upwards as if he was smiling.

**The End**

_

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Asbolos =__One of Actaeon's hounds in Ovid's __Metamorphoses__. Meaning = 'soot', 'black'._

_I'm not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes or help me to correct them._

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._


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